1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power switching device for a vehicle arranged on a driving force transmission passage from a driving source to wheels of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The power switching device typically has an engaging mechanism for connecting and disconnecting between a pair of rotating members arranged on the driving force transmission passage, an operating mechanism for switch-operating the engaging mechanism between an engaged condition and a disengaged condition, an electric actuator for providing operating power to the operating mechanism, and a waiting mechanism having an elastic member for temporarily accumulating the operating power and then transmitting the operating power to the engaging mechanism. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2011-121458 discloses a differential device for rear wheels having a differential lock mechanism with the waiting mechanism.
In the waiting mechanism described in the conventional art document, a coil spring is disposed on an operating power transmission passage from an electric actuator to a shift sleeve of the differential lock mechanism so that the coil spring can temporarily accumulate operating power from the electric actuator. The coil spring for the waiting mechanism can accumulate the operating power at the time of any of an engaging operation for moving the shift sleeve of the differential lock mechanism into a lock position (connecting operation for driving force) and a releasing operation for moving the shift sleeve into an unlock position (disconnecting operation for driving force).